cadence

noun

ca·dence ˈkā-dᵊn(t)s

plural cadences

Synonyms of cadence next

: the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity

The drill sergeant counted cadence.

the steady cadence of the drums

: a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language

the grand cadence of his poetry

: a regular and repeated pattern of activity

In addition to our weekly cadence, we take a step back once a quarter to think about our platform a little more strategically.—

David Vandegrift

To meet its cadence of a launch every other week, SpaceX must build at least two of these each month.—

Eric Berger

Then in the evening, it's off to the boxing gym or a sparring session for two to three more hours. In recent years, she's kept a cadence of two to four fights annually, her last being a loss for the WBC light middleweight world title in Poland in September.—

Deanna Cioppa

: a falling inflection of the voice

: a concluding and usually falling strain

specifically : a musical chord sequence moving to a harmonic close or point of rest and giving the sense of harmonic completion

: the modulated and rhythmic recurrence of a sound especially in nature

cadenced

ˈkā-dᵊn(t)st

adjective

cadential

kā-ˈden(t)-shəl

adjective

Did you know?

Cadence and Music

A cadence is a rhythm, or a flow of words or music, in a sequence that is regular (or steady as it were). But lest we be mistaken, cadence also lends its meaning to the sounds of Mother Nature (such as birdsong) to be sure. Cadence comes from Middle English borrowed from Medieval Latin’s own cadentia, a lovely word that means “rhythm in verse.” (You may also recognize a cadence cousin, sweet cadenza, as a word that is familiar in the opera universe.) And from there our cadence traces just a little further backward to the Latin verb cadere “to sound rhythmically, to fall.” Praise the rising and the falling of the lilting in our language, whether singing songs or rhyming or opining on it all.

Did you know?

Cadence in the Military

Cadence can refer to any rhythmic sequence of words or sound, but in military contexts, the word has a particular meaning, referring to the rhythmic chants sung by soldiers in marching formation.

These chants can often help keep marchers in line with the rhythm of the march:

Early each morning we were assembled for drill, marching to the cadence of a full-throated Marine sergeant who had little use for us; what he knew for sure about us was that we would be of little value in any hand-to-hand fight.
Lewis Thomas, in Authors at Sea, 1997

Examples of cadence in a Sentence

the steady cadence of the drums Oars moved back and forth in smooth cadence. He speaks with a soft Southern cadence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The cadence of the play is clearly off, as Rizzo doesn’t charge and Cole appears to get lost in no man’s land between the pitcher’s mound and first base. —

Tony Blengino, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Enterprises aren’t accustomed to working in that type of cadence and with that type of pace. —

Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024 The actor deftly switches from Roya’s cadence to Michael’s straight-up, second-generation way of talking. —

Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2024 Rutting bucks have a marching cadence that sounds different than a doe or squirrel. —

Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cadence

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "rhythm of prose or verse, rhetorical periods," borrowed from Medieval Latin cadentia "rhythm in verse," noun derivative (formally feminine singular from neuter plural) of Latin cadent-, cadens, present participle of cadere "to fall, sound rhythmically, end, terminate (of words or clauses)" — more at chance entry 1

Note: Since at least the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (1888), this word has been attributed to Italian, either directly or through French. However, attestations of French cadence and Italian cadenza are significantly later than the first occurrences of cadence in Middle English (ca. 1390) and early Scots (ca. 1420). (The word also occurs in Chaucer's House of Fame, composed ca. 1380 and attested earliest in a manuscript of ca. 1450.) In Medieval Latin cadentia appears in the approximate sense "verse rhythm" (pedum cadentia) in John of Garland's Parisiana poetria (composed ca. 1234).

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler

The first known use of cadence was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Articles Related to cadence

portrait of beautiful child having fun with shiny confetti

12 Underrated Words That Deserve More...

These are some good words

Tulip/Turban, Cloak/Clock, & 8...

When two words come from the same source

How 'Cadence' Became a Business Term

Music isn't the only thing with rhythm

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cadence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cadence. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

cadence

noun

ca·dence ˈkād-ᵊn(t)s

: rhythmic flow of sounds : the beat of rhythmic motion or activity

: a melodic or rhythmic pattern that serves as the close of a musical phrase or composition

cadenced

-ᵊn(t)st

adjective

Last Updated: 26 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

frugal

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

cadence

noun

Did you know?

Did you know?

Synonyms

Examples of cadence in a Sentence

Word History

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near cadence

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition